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habitat_gardener · March 23, 2009

I grow lemon balm in the ground, but all my mints are in pots. They do try to escape through the holes in the bottom of the pot -- I noticed some chocolate mint in the raspberry bed the other day. I use it for tea and tabouli, and next time I make chocolate chip cookies, I'll add some -- great idea!

To keep the lemon balm in check, I cut it to the ground before it blooms, and whenever it starts looking brownish and a little ratty -- a total of at least 3 times a year. I also pot up the seedlings and give them away. This time of year, I spend a few hours pulling out all the extra plantain, calendula, mint, lemon balm, oregano, etc., and potting them up. Everyone who stops to chat gets offered whatever extra plants I have. They go fast at the community garden, and sometimes I save a bunch to take to a local plant exchange (it's only twice a year).

I'm skeptical about the compost solution, because I pot up all my plants in homemade compost, including the mints.

I'm always amused to see some of the weedier herbs for sale at the nursery, looking less healthy than the ones I pull out! I used to save borage seedlings, until they started growing 4 ft. high and wide in my garden, but now I let a few grow and compost the rest. I also used to save and transplant calendula seedlings, but there are enough of them around that I've stopped saving them. But I still save a mullein or two, and I love plantain and all the mint-family herbs.

March 23, 2009	#26
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,540	I grow lemon balm in the ground, but all my mints are in pots. They do try to escape through the holes in the bottom of the pot -- I noticed some chocolate mint in the raspberry bed the other day. I use it for tea and tabouli, and next time I make chocolate chip cookies, I'll add some -- great idea! To keep the lemon balm in check, I cut it to the ground before it blooms, and whenever it starts looking brownish and a little ratty -- a total of at least 3 times a year. I also pot up the seedlings and give them away. This time of year, I spend a few hours pulling out all the extra plantain, calendula, mint, lemon balm, oregano, etc., and potting them up. Everyone who stops to chat gets offered whatever extra plants I have. They go fast at the community garden, and sometimes I save a bunch to take to a local plant exchange (it's only twice a year). I'm skeptical about the compost solution, because I pot up all my plants in homemade compost, including the mints. I'm always amused to see some of the weedier herbs for sale at the nursery, looking less healthy than the ones I pull out! I used to save borage seedlings, until they started growing 4 ft. high and wide in my garden, but now I let a few grow and compost the rest. I also used to save and transplant calendula seedlings, but there are enough of them around that I've stopped saving them. But I still save a mullein or two, and I love plantain and all the mint-family herbs.